Improvement in bellows foe eeed musical instruments



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A. W. Willcox,` or ANEW MAvENcoNNEoT-iom.

-Leaefs Paamlvo. 77,428, dated April 28, 1868.

titi Matriz marit in 'in time Metiers ateut'mrr nuttig out nf tigt same.

To NEL wHoM 1r MAY coNcERN;

Be it known that I, A. W. WILCQX, of New Haven, inthe county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, have invented anew Improvement in Bellows for Reed-Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following,

when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,and which said drawings constitute part of this specication, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a transverse section, the exhaustA expanded; and,in l Figure 2, a transverse section, the exhaust-'compressed in its naturalposlitiou."

This invention relates to an improvement in the construction of Vbellows forthat class of instruments in which the reeds are operated by exhausting the air from the Wind-chest, the airentering through the reeds to supply the exhaustion.

lHeretofore, in' this class .of bellows, the valves .have been placed upon the under side of the reservoir, and thus depended entirely upon the draught of the vacuum created in the reservoir to close the valves, the valves, by their natural inclination, always lying open. This construction necessitates no inconsiderable loss ofpower.

The object of my invention is, first, to overcome this diiiieulty, and consists in the arrangement of a valvechamber within the reservoir, through the perpendicular wall of which the openings are formed, and valves hung thereon, so that, by their own gravity, their natural position is to beclosed. In this class of bellows also, the valves in thc exhaust are placed upon the outer surface of-the collapsing side. The lower side or floor of the exhaust, in its natural position, rests c l'ose up against the under side of the licor of the reservoir, the

` collapsing side, with the valves thereon, being folded between the two. This construction necessitates a short' movement, at least of the'floor ofthe exhaust, before it can commence to operate or have any c ifect` upon the reservoirrthus necessitating a loss of time and power at this point.

The further object ot' [ny-invention is to overcome this difficulty, and thereforevconsists, second, in forming' a channel or a raised -edge upon theupper side of the oor of the exhaust, so as to leave a spac'e between the collapsed side or `valves and the door, so'that the bellows will commence to operate upon the irst start of the exhaust. i s

To enable others tofully understand my improvement, I will proceed to -describe the same asli'llustrated in the accompanying drawings` i A is the-windlchest. B, the reservoir, formed by the oor 0,'hinged at the point-a, the opposite side, being the collapsingjside, the edge or space between the wind-chest and iloor, C, being covered by a flexible material in the usual manner. D is the valve-chamber, formed in the reservoir bythe arrangement of a Wall,

E, having openings, e, suicient in number, (or yits entire length,) from the reservoir into the chamber D; and-f upon the surface of the wall, in the chamber D, are arranged valves, cl, so as toopen outward from the exhaust, the valve-chamber D opening directly into the exhaust-chamber F,as seen in tig. 1. Gr is the door of the exhaust, hinged to the iloor, O., of the reservoir atV g, the edge .between the two oors .enclosed by ailexible material, so as to collapse, as seen iig. 2, or expand, as in fig. l. The natural position of the floor Gr is as seen in iig. 2. Through the collapsing side, f, arev formed several openings, more or less in number, provided with valves, 72,. upon the outside, opening outward. Y

It' the two floors were formed of angequal thickness in the usual manner, the collapsing ofthe exhaust, as in iig. 2, the loor of the exhaust would close the openings inthe side,f, before the collapse had completely taken place, thus leaving a portionl of compressed air' within the exhaust. This would necessitate a movement downward of the floor G before the exhaust would begin vto operate upon the reservoir. To obviate this,iI form a recess, n, in the floor Gr, either by cutting away a par-t of the floor, as seen in the drawings, or'by constructing a ledge, m, upon the edge of the floor, so as to leave a space beneath the valve t when closed; therefore the air` in the exhaust can escape through the valves until the exhaust iscompletely collapsed, and the rststart or downward movement of the Hoor Gr will commencenn instant action upon the reservoir by exhausting the mr `therefrom through the valves'd to supply the increasing exhaust-chamber.

VI nenner and for the purpose described.v

By this construction, I have overcome, in .l very simple manner, the two difficulties which I have mentioned.

Having thusfully described my invention, what I claim as neiv and useful, and desirerto secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The arrangement of the valve-chamber D within the reservoir B, 4by the construction of the-wall E therein, with the openings e and valves d thereon, substantially in the manner `and -for the purpose specified.

2. The construction of'V a, recess in the oor G of the exhaust, beneath the openings f, substantially in the:

A. W; WILooX.

Witnesses:

A. J. TIBBITS, J. H. SHUMWAY. 

